Issue 296 - August 2013

It may be presumed that the Craft Lake City DIY Festival on Aug. 9 and 10 is limited to showcasing handmade crafts to hold and take home. However, joining the surplus of local artisans and DIY Engineers are 50 local musicians and performers who will show off their talents in the form of instrumentation. … read more

Whether you’ll admit it or not, you’ve walked the city wondering why giant robots aren’t pouring out of alleyways battling to save the galaxy. Sumo Bots at Craft Lake City DIY Festival are giving you the opportunity to witness this on the miniature scale. Contestants who have constructed their own miniature monsters will drop them in a ring with the goal of pushing the enemy out of the circle, for all of the cyber glory this city has to offer. … read more

Another year of craft explosion is right around the corner. Four seasons of preparatory functions have led up to a fifth year of artistry, which is sure to be the most successful and fulfilled Craft Lake City DIY Festival yet. Artisans from around the Salt Lake valley will coincide at the Gallivan Center from August 9–10 in a smorgasbord of handmade objects and mind-melting performances. This year, I was lucky enough to quiz four distinctly different artisans participating in the event. … read more

Some people believe skateboarding to be an art. Others would say that jumping around on a wooden toy is a monumental waste of time. I say, every minute you are skateboarding is a minute that you aren’t stealing an old lady’s purse. In celebration of not making an octogenarian your prey, the 14th annual Summer of Death Presented by Scion had its first contest of the year on Saturday, July 20, paired with the Urban Arts Festival. … read more

On Aug. 15, 2012, Baroness’ tour bus plunged 30 feet from atop a viaduct near Bath, England, injuring all nine passengers. Miraculously, everyone on the bus survived, though no one emerged unscathed. Despite this accident, frontman John Baizley moves forward, saying, “In an effort to move past that and get to somewhere a bit more rewarding than pitiful, our goal is, quite simply put, to be known as a good live touring band.” … read more

With a couple of decades of skateboarding under his belt, Etnies’ Cairo Foster is a guy who will indefinitely go down as one of the best and most consistent in the sport. Going from a technical skateboarder to a burly speed hound who will jump down anything, Foster has put in some serious work over the years, and has no intention of slowing down. … read more

Starting with the crunchy licks of everyman band The Pentagraham Crackers, SLUG Localized will heat up with the running beats and toothed refrains of Wildcat Strike before surf-rockers The New Electric Sound cast their net of sensual grooves over every man and woman in the crowd. This 21+ show happens Friday, Aug. 16 at Urban Lounge, and doors open at 9 p.m. If you’re a sad, lonely ragamuffin stuck at home, check out the show through the live stream on gigviz.com. … read more

“I tend to pull from things that resonate with me because they represent a part of my childhood, or a specific moment in my life that I know other people will feel a connection to,” says CLC DIY Fest artist Audrey Patten, speaking of her artwork. The subjective nature of visual art often renders it introverted and inaccessible, but Patten has managed to transcend the self in her work and illustrate an emotion that has become the defining keystone of our generation: nostalgia. … read more

Atlanta-based experimental rock band O’Brother has gained an amazing amount of traction in a short time, releasing their first EP, The Death of Day, with the current lineup in 2009, and their first full-length, Garden Window, in 2011. Touring with bands as big as Manchester Orchestra, Thrice and even Alice In Chains, these guys are finally taking on a headlining tour of their own in support of their sophomore release, the excellent Disillusion. … read more